PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4547, 20 November 1882, Page 3

PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION.

-*. MR MAOANDRBW AT PORT OHALMER9. I Pbb Pbbbs Association.] DUNEDIN, Nov. 18. Mr Macandrew, in the course of his speech, said that at present the Oolony was paying £120,000 a year for Government at Wellington, a very large proportion of which might be saved under a simpler and more suitable system. Even in the days of provincialism, the annual cost of the whole was under £35,000, and the Provincial Legislature of Otago, which was denounced as the most extravagant, was just as capable of managing the whole of the affairs of New Zealand as was the General Assembly, if indeed not more so. The same thing might be said of some other larger Provinces. The total coet of the Otago Legislature Executive was some £9000 a year. He did not adduce this as an argument in favour of going back to Provincialism as it wbb, although that would be infinitely preferable to the present eyitem ; but he wished to show that the mere question of expense would be no argument against having one or more local Legislatures in each Island, which would relieve the Oolonial Parliament of the greater portion of those functions whioh it has now assumed, and is in ths nature of things unfitted to deal with, and_ would thereby secure far greater efficiency and economy in the Government of New Zsahnd. They might depend upon it this question of local government was that to which, above all others, the people of the Oolony should have their thoughts and attention epoci.lly directed, and which they should set their minds seriously to coneidcr. (Applause) The Roads Construction Bills, tho Oounty Amendment Acts, ci hoc genus omne, as introduced and dangled beforo them from time to time by the continuous Ministry, wore but mere tinkering with tho subject. The genius of the Ministry was essentially central, snd under the present system it couldn't well be otherwise Nothing but absolute renunciation by tho Colonial Parliament of any interference in puroly local affairs could meet tho circumstances of the case. Just fancy the High Court of Parliament haggling for days over a Fencing Bill or a Dog Bill. Of courso there will be local jealousies, let the system of Government be what it may, but our duty is to limit the sphere of such jealousies so that they shall bo least hurtful to tho interests of the Coloay as a whole. Why, for example, should 0:ago and Canterbury bo deprived of tho benefits of direct steam communication with England if they are willing and nble to pay for it — and it should be for their interoot so to do— benefits which would undoubtedly extend themsolves to all New Zealand P Why should they bo deprived of such benefits simply bocause the people of Atrkland object? Yet this is ono of tho results of the system which he desired to see altered. But for tho jealousy of A-uekland, direct steam communication would now have been an accomplished fact, and a very different service from ony likoly to be initialed by the resolution of last session. He would, and ought- to have had, the finest service in the world — quite equal to tho Orient lino. Only two Aucklana members, if he recollected rightly, rose superior to this jealousy, and dealt with this question on Colonial grounds. He would go further, and ask why should tho people of Auckland be deprived of the beuefits of the Californian servicn, which they prize so highly, benefits which to -the rest o r the Colony were very small indeed ? Why should they bo deprivod of these simply because the people of tho South might object, which they might well do, seeing that upwards of throefourths of the subsidy was contributed by them? Hitherto, however, the L'outh had not objected, nor was it likely to do so unless provoked by tho selfish action to whioh ho had referred. Ho did no!, know that there c mid be a better standpoint from which lo illuslra'o the pernicious effect of our present I arl lament ary system than the history of tho proposals for direct, etc aru communication with England, It was ono which more doaply concerned tho interests of overy cockatoo, who is producing anything beyond his own requirements, than almost any oUier. It would, moreover, tend to diminish tho public burden, and to develop tho resourc-os of the Colony more than any hing else. Had tha Provinciol Oouncil o( Otuijo been in existence with the resources of tht Provinco at its back, which unfortunately it l.nA not, but which, under n proper system cf local government it would have had, and should have, it cjuld, und he believed would it -elf havo estab Mied direct steam with England, and it would have paid the Province handsomely to do so. Some of you may recollec!, many years figo, when it whs proposed to <*sUt-li->h the Panam-i tfleaui Hcrvi'-'e, und when Oi'igo wa". in v position to have done soon its own hook, how speedily tho Colonial Government, which, in thoso days, toak ail its i-iras of progress from v?, atone* stepped in, and chcikiu-itod the proposal, by ttking fie thing out of our hands, to the great lo^s of New Ztuhud a? it: turned out. It ni iy bo interesting to knr>w that m thos" primitive tinn-s, whtu 0:«gj io supposed to have been v very be iglred and one horse uft'-iir, the mat er «:ie br'.n.g'i! tc* mvii a point that we hud only to p! *.oc v mi „"]i nli rep run ir. th-- market tor suV, in • rHcr tc have i ecjriio half owik-ib of I t>rc • fi.'.-'. -el im; steamships, wi.irh w.ti.M Line kip: up .* tno-.thly hcrvi.v h-l ween I'ort Ci-lini rs .nd Panama, in whieli ens.' the Ai>!r:i'i*in Colonies would have hud to s. 1:1'; 1 cr.- for their mails, anc! this pr.-rt would havo hn*:* f.-r tbo time being a' least (lie locs <>'. fteiun in the Pacific. Oh ! tli.it f'liig.lud !> n■■ ' sep-trnfe Colony, -<• r- 1 ouM ih.-.-i i .ive ".u \>-,' crm'.HU!," as oir / in- rimn cm-is *■•■,'., eiy. .M *.."h mure in:*:!'.!, l-ic--. /..I**** •.>•<■ ii-ni*. so, md i-..*;,!*- ot i;s tM.iii.il i! r i> **t' "•Ihtcsinen *- ho huve '■».(: liotu v s _>i<l [". .- ••* .. .- heaped upon tin m, been lar^" minded twin genuii.o patriots, in-teai of prcjudierd and sulf-scrking pl-.ci-Mi-.fi. (Appluwn* ) Nolliii*".: short of the CoKifilul P.«rli-*iiiriit •*•*•• 1 • : r ,» i i f hands of local ufT'iirs will put, tnii'-ti-r. r.*; .* n. New '/j i.laiid. t i.ii-.T 1 ital nli Ur «, 1 1 1 .i i . :.- --p lif, gH'jls, Ill*"'f-.!lC BS.*. hi *'."-, l.ns.illiii-, niH'fi>, hriifg-"-*, railways, harbours, r-lilntf. docf, public.ins, li"er:fe«, lard', rt ih . ir-p«-f tors of machinery, niii.es, und hk-'i !>«.*>, ... ,- ', am by no means ccrtuiu that eiiu;*ai toi* b_jul i not le included.